1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for alternately arranging front and back end portions of articles, which differ in their shape, structure and quality of material, and transferring the articles, and more particularly to an apparatus for arranging a water capsule contained in a suction tip of a cigarette such that the front and back end portion are alternately directed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventionally, there is disclosed a cigarette with a filter wherein a water capsule is contained in a suction tip. In this type of cigarette, for example, before a person smokes the cigarette, the suction tip is broken externally so that the water capsule is broken and water inside is discharged and permeates in the filter. Then, in a case where cigarette smoke flows through the filter containing water at the time of smoking, an irritating component contained in smoke is absorbed in water and mild smoking taste can be obtained.
The above type of cigarette is structured as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 1. A water filter 73 is contained in a casing 72 forming a suction tip of a cigarette 71. The water filter 73 comprises two filter elements 74a and 74b, and two water capsules are arranged between these filter elements. These filter elements and the water capsules are integrated by a roll of paper 75 which is cylindrically rolled up. The water capsule 2 is formed of plastic material, and a thin portion is partially formed in a bottom wall 30. An opening portion of the water capsule 2 is closed by a cap 20. The cap 20 is formed of a plastic film. In actual, the cap 20 is square-shaped, and the edge portion is flap-shaped and projects along the outer peripheral surface of the water capsule 2 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Then, the water capsule 2 is filled with water or a water solution W wherein a predetermined material is dissolved.
In this type of cigarette, before a person smokes the cigarette, the suction tip is broken in an F direction, so that the water capsule 2 is broken. Then, the bottom wall 30 is broken and water inside permeates in the filter element 74a.
In a case where such a cigarette with a filter is produced, a long filter corresponding to several filters of the suction tips, thereafter the long filter is cut for one suction tip. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, a long filter rod 80 corresponding to several suction tips is produced in order to produce such a filter with a water capsule. The rod 80 is formed by that filter plugs 82a, 82b and water filter 2 are alternately arranged and integrated by a roll of paper. Then, the rod 80 is cut in the central portion of the respective filter plugs 82a and 82b, and a filter for one suction tip is produced.
The filter element 74a, which is formed in the bottom wall 30 of the water capsule 2, the filter element 74b, which is formed in the cap 20, are different from each other in their quality of material. Therefore, in a case where the rod 80 as shown in FIG. 2 is produced, the filter plug 82a forming filter element 74a and the filter plug 82b forming filter element 74b are alternately arranged, and the water capsule 2 to be arranged therebetween must be arranged such that the bottom wall 30 and the cap 20 are alternately opposite to each other.
In order that the filter plugs and the water capsule 2 are arranged as mentioned above, supply and transfer apparatus having individual supply mechanism may normally be designed. For example, there are arranged four supply mechanisms, that is, a first supply mechanism for supplying the filter plug 82a, a second supply mechanism for supplying the filter plug 80b, a third supply mechanism for arranging the cap 20 of the water capsule 2 in the front side of the advancing direction and supplying the capsule 2, and a fourth supply mechanism for arranging the cap 20 of the water capsule 2 in the back side of the advancing direction and supplying the capsule 2. Then, the articles, which are supplied from these supply mechanisms, may be supplied to one transfer apparatus in a predetermined order.
However, in the above-structured apparatus, there are disadvantages in that the structure is complicated and reliability is reduced and the cost of this apparatus increases. Moreover, the above water capsule is supplied in a state that the cap is arranged in a constant direction, that is, the front side of the advancing direction or the back side thereof. Therefore, it is difficult to supply the water capsule to the third supply mechanism in a state that the cap is arranged in the front side. Also, it is difficult to supply the water capsule to the fourth mechanism in a state that the cap is arranged in the backside. Therefore, in order to invert the direction of these water capsules, there is required a complicated apparatus.
Moreover, in the above-structured water capsule, as shown in FIG. 3, if these water capsules 2 are transferred in a state that the caps 20 are arranged in the back side of the advancing direction, flaps f of the edges of the caps 20, which project from the outer periphery surfaces of these water capsules 2, are directed to be opposed to the advancing direction. Due to this, there occurs a disadvantage in which these flaps f catch joint portions of transferring passages 1a. Particularly, in cigarette producing apparatuses, recently, there is a tendency for the number of products per unit hour to largely increase. According to this tendency, the number of water capsules to be supplied per unit hour extremely increases. Due to this, the above-mentioned disadvantages become more clear.